Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Punta del Este versus $1,299 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,264 in Punta del Este versus $2,116 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Punta del Este versus $2,933 in Maldonado.

Living in Punta del Este is roughly 56% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punta del Este is 52% above, Maldonado is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.61 UYU 748

$16.01 UYU 643

16.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 UYU 2,097

$54.5 UYU 2,190

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 UYU 463

$11.04 UYU 444

4.26%

Cappuccino

$4.60 UYU 185

$4.19 UYU 168

9.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 148

$2.16 UYU 86.7

70.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.71 UYU 68.8

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 UYU 153

$2.43 UYU 97.8

56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.65 UYU 147

32.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.5

$1.13 UYU 45.31

20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 UYU 94.3

$2.79 UYU 112

-15.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 UYU 88.7

$1.60 UYU 64.3

38.12%

Eggs

$3.86 UYU 155

$4.75 UYU 191

-18.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 UYU 564

$13.69 UYU 550

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.00 UYU 523

$10.71 UYU 430

21.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 UYU 510

$10.87 UYU 437

16.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 UYU 124

$2.20 UYU 88.5

40.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 UYU 143

$2.40 UYU 96.6

47.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.3

$1.54 UYU 62.1

31.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 UYU 146

$3.49 UYU 140

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.3

$1.79 UYU 71.8

21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.96 UYU 78.8

8.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 UYU 52.9

$1.24 UYU 49.67

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 UYU 79.8

$1.59 UYU 64.0

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.85 UYU 195

$5.29 UYU 213

-8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 UYU 316

$8.04 UYU 323

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 UYU 129

$1.96 UYU 78.7

63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 UYU 203

$2.67 UYU 107

89.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$1.38 UYU 55.3

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.88 UYU 2,005

$44.18 UYU 1,776

12.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 UYU 57.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 UYU 140

$2.09 UYU 84.1

66.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 UYU 545

$11.21 UYU 450

20.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$1.83 UYU 73.4

-0.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K UYU 1.2M

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

-15.78%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.3K UYU 1.4M

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

-6.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.9 UYU 3,813

$155 UYU 6,218

-38.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.11 UYU 647

$16.47 UYU 662

-2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.50 UYU 1,628

$42.44 UYU 1,705

-4.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 UYU 3,101

$46.40 UYU 1,865

66.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.14 UYU 970

$29.58 UYU 1,189

-18.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.61 UYU 386

$7.91 UYU 318

21.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$614 UYU 24.7K

$492 UYU 19.8K

24.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,651 UYU 307.5K

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 UYU 5,008

$86.6 UYU 3,479

43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 UYU 2,612

$47.65 UYU 1,915

36.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 UYU 5,690

$88.5 UYU 3,557

59.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 UYU 5,937

$93.1 UYU 3,743

58.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

$370 UYU 14.9K

203.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 UYU 36.2K

$282 UYU 11.3K

219.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 UYU 101.1K

$886 UYU 35.6K

184.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 UYU 73.6K

$620 UYU 24.9K

195.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,790 UYU 152.3K

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

150.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,012 UYU 80.9K

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

54.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 UYU 44.7K

$861 UYU 34.6K

29.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

-11.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Punta del Este: July 14, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,126 in Punta del Este and $370 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Punta del Este vs $54.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $305, with Maldonado cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Punta del Este vs Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punta del Este and Maldonado differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,031 vs $1,299 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Punta del Este, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,126 in Punta del Este versus $370 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Punta del Este versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Punta del Este. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,299 in Maldonado versus $2,031 in Punta del Este, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Punta del Este. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Punta del Este and Maldonado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.